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Not to jinx it, but in all honesty what teams, specifically in the East, can even compete with us for a legit shot next year?

Sticking in the East, I really see the Cavs as the team that will give us the most problems to win the conference next year (like they did this season). Detroit is getting older and Dumars seems desperate to retool. I just can't see that aging team improving at all from this season.

Cleveland will probably get better though. The Cavs have a ton of cap space available and should be able to make a move for a side kick or at least semi side kick to James. A Michael Redd, VC, or JO could make that team ultra competitive.

Other than the Cavs, I don't see any reason why we can't do this again next year. We certainly will not pulla Miami Heat and just crumble the seasons following a title. This is not a one-hit wonder any any means. That has to get you more excited realizing that.

eitanr wrote:Not to jinx it, but in all honesty what teams, specifically in the East, can even compete with us for a legit shot next year?

Sticking in the East, I really see the Cavs as the team that will give us the most problems to win the conference next year (like they did this season). Detroit is getting older and Dumars seems desperate to retool. I just can't see that aging team improving at all from this season.

Cleveland will probably get better though. The Cavs have a ton of cap space available and should be able to make a move for a side kick or at least semi side kick to James. A Michael Redd, VC, or JO could make that team ultra competitive.

Other than the Cavs, I don't see any reason why we can't do this again next year. We certainly will not pulla Miami Heat and just crumble the seasons following a title. This is not a one-hit wonder any any means. That has to get you more excited realizing that.

Not a jinx at all. I think this team is more than capable of being competitive for the next two or three years, at least. The lynchpin, in my opinion though, is keeping James Posey. For real.

I agree. We should be the favorites to win it all again next year. Only player I fear is Lebron.

What type of money will Posey fetch in the open market (near the MLE)?

Also what kind of cash does Boston really have to re-sign their guys? I also see House as a guy who may get somewhere around 4 mill per with another club.

eitanr wrote:What type of money will Posey fetch in the open market (near the MLE)?

Also what kind of cash does Boston really have to re-sign their guys? I also see House as a guy who may get somewhere around 4 mill per with another club.

Not sure, but we need both of them back big time!!! I don't want any FA. I just want to keep the team, add 2 draft picks and do it again!!

Nobody.

Green 18 here we come

It is too early to say. Way too early.

However, LA would have been a lot tougher with Bynum. A lot tougher.

The only team that can really stop Boston is....Boston. We will have to stay healthy, hungry and whole to win again. We can, whether we do or not will be up to us.

EAST
Cleveland if they decide to put some real players around lebron.
Orlando if they can make a key FA trade in the offseason.
Detroit is kinda tough cause the team has been together so long.. and they've aged.
Washington can kinda be tough if they can ever play any freaking defense.
Miami if somehow Pat Riley can pull a Boston in the off season
Chicago has some chips to play with now.. lets see what skiles can do.

WEST
LA Lakers now bynum comes into play, and it can get interesting if theirs another LAL/BOS final.
Portland will have Oden now, and have to wait and see how that will work out with portlands core.
San Antonio yeah their older, but manu/parker/duncan can still be effective if the team is aging.
Utah if they can get someone thats an athletic scorer.

I still say that Boston is a clear cut contender for years to come... congrats boston fans!

Hopefully with a healthy Bynum and a more stronger mature bench and Kobe I would say the Lakers................

The Cavs probably have the best shot out of anyone else in the East, because they play defense, but will still probably need to make some changes.

In the West, the Lakers have a good chance to be back in the Finals with a healthy Bynum (and assuming he continues to improve).

Orlando and New Orleans will both be interesting teams to watch next season.

What's most promising for the Celtics is the development of their young players, like Rondo, Perkins, and Powe. Before this season, these guys were a major question mark for the team's depth, but all 3 stepped up in the playoffs. If their improvement can cancel out the decline of the older guys, then Boston could be back again next year. As someone else said though, it's WAY to early to even be making predictions about this.

Congrats on the championship.

old age,injuries, Ray allen will probably suck next year....lack of fire after winning a title...this is pretty much it for you guys. Enjoy

LongTimeFan wrote:It is too early to say. Way too early.

However, LA would have been a lot tougher with Bynum. A lot tougher.

I'm not so sure this is true. I'm not sure that Gasol and Bynum can both be effective when playing together.

The Cavs don't have any cap space this off season at all. They have a ton of expirings but no cap space. I do however expect them to try to upgrade this offseason.

Ji wrote:old age,injuries, Ray allen will probably suck next year....lack of fire after winning a title...this is pretty much it for you guys. Enjoy

Bitter Loser Alert!!

Outlaw:

I think Bynum plays defense. It seems to me the Lakers would be better with some defense.

We killed them on the boards last night. Gasol is soft.

Cleveland, New Orleans, possibly Lakers are the biggest threats imo. Depends what they decide to do over in Detroit.

If the C's make the right moves.....no one.........

I can't believe nobody is mentioning the Spurs. I know they are an older team but IMO they were a Manu Ginobili ankle injury away from beating the Lakers. I expect them to come back strong next year with good off season moves. My other teams are Cleveland, Detroit and Utah. All teams that play pretty good defense.

I don't think the Lakers will be a big threat to the Celtics unless they really bring in one or two players to really balance out the roster. Right now they are too offensively focussed. Conversely they are weak defensively.

The Spurs would have given us a strong challenge if they had been healthy this season so they could potentially stop us next season as well.

The Jazz are a pretty tough matchup for the Celtics and will likely improve in the offseason.

To me though, the toughest competition the Celtics will face are the Cavs. Lebron is EASILY the best player in the world and possibly will end up as the best to ever play the game. He's a force of nature and a basketball genius. If the Cavs add one or two more pieces to what they've got now and they stay healthy... they will be very, very tough to beat.

It really depends on Rondo. If he can get a consistent jump shot, something he never showed during the playoffs, the Celtics will be nearly impossible to stop.


If Posey, House, and PJ leave, Rondo, Pruitt, Powe, Perkins, and Davis don't improve or regress, and Ray, KG and Pierce start the effects of age, then many teams could stop the Celtics.